Service system

Abstract

A typical embodiment of the invention described herein discloses a prepared and packaged food delivery system that permits one attendant to serve several car ports. An electrically driven carrier for transporting a gimballed tray for money and foodstuffs has a dynamic brake that permits the carrier and tray to coast to a stop and, if desired, reverse direction after a brief delay. This feature prevents spillage. An additional feature of the invention provides advertising space illumination on the carriage with adjustable illumination time.

We claim: 
     
       1. A packaged foodstuffs delivery system for transferring a tray between a teller position and at least one delivery station comprising at least three electrically conductive rails for conveying the foodstuffs, a carriage electrically coupled to said rails, an electrically dynamically braked motor within said carriage for driving said carriage, means for gimballing the tray to said carriage for transporting the foodstuffs therewith between the teller position and the delivery station, circuit means for propelling said carriage in either direction along said rails, at least one of said rails having an isolation section for causing said electrically dynamically braked motor to coast to a stop in order to enable said carriage and said gimballed tray also to stop in a manner that retains the foodstuffs on the tray, contacts for reversing the electrical polarity on said rails in order to reverse said carriage direction between the teller position and the delivery station, and delay means for causing said carriage to coast to a stop before reversing said carriage direction in order to enable said carriage and said gimballed tray to stop in a manner that retains the foodstuffs on the tray. 
     
     
       2. A packaged foodstuffs delivery system for transferring a tray between a teller position and at least one delivery station comprising at least three electrically conductive rails for conveying the foodstuffs, a carriage electrically coupled to said rails, an electrically dynamically braked motor within said carriage for driving said carriage, means for gimballing the tray to said carriage for transporting the foodstuffs therewith between the teller position and the delivery station, circuit means for propelling said carriage in either direction along said rails, at least one of said rails having an isolation section for causing said electrically dynamically braked motor to coast to a stop in order to enable said carriage and said gimballed tray also to stop in a manner that retains the foodstuffs on the tray, contacts for reversing the electrical polarity on said rails in order to reverse said carriage direction between the teller position and the delivery station, and delay means for causing said carriage to coast to a stop before reversing said carriage direction in order to enable said carriage and said gimballed tray to stop in a manner that retains the foodstuffs on the tray, a lamp bank on said carriage, lamp bank circuit means for sensing the polarity of the electricity on one of said rails and energizing said lamp bank in response thereto as said dynamically braked motor coasts to a stop at the delivery station, and further delay means for deenergizing said lamp bank after a predetermined time.